The computer is increasingly used to help in complex situations. The latest innovations in this area will be presented by Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the FZI Research Center for Information Technology at the CeBIT in early March (hall 9, stand G33). User-friendly systems display all facts to surgeons during operation and simultaneously translate university lectures for foreign students. In addition, smart living environments that support comfort, safety, and care services and software for the relocation of e-mails will be presented.

Computers Recognize User Emotion and Intention

People communicate on more levels than just by language: Mimics, gestures, and view directions also play an important role. Depending on the sex, age, and person, however, interpretation of the words spoken may vary. Computers perceiving these parameters will have a number of potential applications in the future. Examples are interactive robots or smart environments in hospitals and workshops (ambient intelligence), the support of blind and visually impaired persons in perceiving their environment (assistive technologies), increased safety (safety & security) or the search for image and video contents (image retrieval). At the CeBIT stand, KIT will present a prototype which recognizes the age, sex, and state of emotion of voluntary persons and another system that will automatically recognize actors in TV series.

Computer-based assistance systems may be helpful during operations. Navigation information, for instance, reveals the position of a hidden tumor or structures that must not be damaged during the operation. The data displayed by the system made by KIT depend on the situation. The planning data are visualized with the help of extended reality and faded directly into the camera image. Such systems are of particular use in minimally invasive surgery, as they open up new operation options.

The first computer-based simultaneous translation service worldwide helps overcome the language barrier. At KIT, it is used to translate in real time the lecture of German-speaking lecturers and display the translation in the form of English subtitles on the laptops or mobile phones of foreign students. Although translation is not perfect, use of this cost-efficient technology helps students overcome the language barrier. Potential applications lie in the area of presentations and videos on the internet or information systems for hearing-impaired people.

At KIT, students of informatics run an IT support center for research and education as well as for public institutions in Germany and abroad. The Education Support Centre Deutschland (ESCde) provides support relating to the installation, use, and maintenance of Microsoft technologies and products. IT support covers two areas, infrastructure support for network and server systems and developer support for programming using the software platform .NET. Thanks to the advanced know-how of the students and integration in an academic environment, ESCde is a competent and experienced support partner. For 18 years now, customer satisfaction has been very high.

At the CeBIT, FZI will present use of information technologies to enhance comfort and safety in the living environment and to improve assisted living and care. CeBIT visitors will be given virtual insight into the FZI House of Living Labs in Karlsruhe. There, a 2-room apartment is equipped with a number of sensors, actuators, gateways, and household appliances. Using this apartment, scientists study and develop new solutions for smart homes and AAL (ambient assisted living). For the presentation of the results at the CeBIT stand, a small living room will be exhibited together with solutions for smart living, a sensor mat that detects falls of the inhabitants, an apnea screening system, and a lamp that can be switched via a tablet computer.

Premiere at the CeBIT: audriga GmbH, a spinoff of FZI and KIT, will present its automatic relocation service for the transfer of groupware data among cloud suppliers for Microsoft Exchange mailboxes. By means of this software-as-a-service (SaaS), users can relocate their e-mails, contacts, calendar entries, and files rapidly and safely via the internet when the provider changes. The service links to the cloud suppliers and directly relocates the groupware data. audriga offers a platform that can be scaled flexibly and processes large amounts of data in an efficient manner. Maximum IT security is ensured by compliance with European data protection regulations and international security standards.

Software for Communication with Care Services and App
for Assisted Living

The new app of nubedian GmbH can be used by elderly people to read newspapers, to skype, to consult the weather forecast, and in particular to communicate with care services. These care services can send reminders of appointments and messages and also use the mobile software to control the state of health. Via an interface, the app communicates with the cloud-based CareCM software that supports counseling, coordination, documentation, and case management of staff in the social and healthcare sectors. CareCM also improves process efficiency and can be used independently of time and location. This SaaS solution was developed by FZI staff members who have now established their own company nubedian GmbH.

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is a public corporation according to the legislation of the state of Baden-Württemberg. It fulfills the mission of a university and the mission of a national research center of the Helmholtz Association. KIT focuses on a knowledge triangle that links the tasks of research, teaching, and innovation.

The FZI Research Center for Information Technology at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology is an independent and non-profit institution for applied informatics research and technology transfer. Latest scientific findings of information technology are transferred to companies and public institutions and young people are qualified for a career in the academic sector, in industry, or at their own enterprise. The FZI House of Living Labs is a unique environment for applied research.

The photo of printing quality may be downloaded under www.kit.edu or requested by mail to presse@kit.edu or phone +49 721 608-4 7414. The photo may be used in the context given above exclusively.

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.